Wildfire
by Insomniac Connor
Summary: [Bender! AU (sort of)] All Chloe wanted was another safe, normal school year, but unfortunately, Derek Souza and fate had other plans, which may or may not include attempted murder and being kissed. (16 due to language)
1. Prologue

Prologue

It was in the nineties that the world was opened up to the unearthly humans known as Elementals, like the mythical beings. Humans with the unique ability to control elements: fire, earth, air, and water. There were even instances of lightening, electricity, blood, and radiation benders.

It came to light that the Elementals were the results of genetic experimentation by a group of scientists called the Edison Group. Once it was brought to the public's attention, the FBI and CIA and psychologists were brought in to control the situation and to put a stop to the Edison Group's unusual experiments.

They believed that they put a stop to it.

Some children slipped through the cracks, despite their best efforts.


	2. Chapter 1

_Buffalo, New York_

 _Lyle-Gurney High School_

 _Modern Day_

* * *

Chapter One

The Encounter

It was the first day of sophomore year and Chloe Saunders had adopted several nicknames _Blondie_ , _Candy Cane_ , and _Baby Blue_.

For some reason, Mr. Davidoff, who taught first block World History, had zeroed in on her with a friendly smile and asked her to run some papers down to the office.

She accepted, being the idiot she was, and now she was horribly lost.

"Lost?" asked a voice from behind her and she turned, spotting a familiar dark-skinned girl with coppery curls.

"M-maybe," Chloe answered, blushing furiously under her friend's knowing smirk.

"You think you wouldn't get lost by now," Rachelle "Rae" Rodgers lamented with a laugh, slapping an arm around the blonde's shoulders and they headed off to the office.

"Oh. One moment please." The receptionist smiled warmly before wiggling around, careful not to bump her bulging belly on anything, and waddling away.

Chloe glanced around curiously. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a tall figure stalking in: long legs, powerful arms, and a muscular physique. Backpack hanging off one shoulder. Baggy jeans, heavy, thick sweatshirt, hood up. A Goth kid maybe.

The guy pulled open the office door and shook the hood off his head, wiping the rain from his cheeks. With his shaggy, unkempt black hair, seaweed eyes, and a face full of angry acne, he certainly was a sight to see.

Some of the workers in the office gave him a second glance, some disgusted, others lustful, before going back to work.

"R-rai-raining, huh?" Chloe said softly, glancing back at the guy.

The guy stared her down for a long moment before shrugging a shoulder and heading to the waiting chairs. When he sat down, he dwarfed it like a giant.

Smiling to herself, she began to swirl her finger in the air, drawing circles calmly, and kept her eyes on the clock.

Ten-oh-five.

Ten-ten.

"Hey."

Startled, she whipped around to see the guy standing up, looming above her, and something wet splashed over her sneaker and pant-leg. Confused, she looked down to see a puddle at her foot. Thinking there was a leak, she glanced up. No leak.

"Hey." He was talking again.

His eyes pierced her in a million places. "Ice Eyes, over here. Do that again."

She looked around.

No one was paying attention.

"That finger thing. Again. Circles."

Unsure of why, she repeated it again, not paying attention to her hand but to the young man in front of her. His cheeks looked flushed, like he was excited or maybe sun-burnt, and he was staring at her intensely, eyes cold, like a predator watching prey struggle before going in for the kill.

"Look down."

She did so slowly, uncertain of what she would find, and let out a yelp of surprise. A ball of water had formed under her fingertip, wavering, ready to be commanded.

"Is something wrong?" The pregnant receptionist was back, holding the stack of papers that needed to be copied, and the bubble popped, splashing over the blonde's pant-leg.

"No," the guy cut in sharply and his eyes slid to Chloe's.

When she turned to leave, he caught her elbow and bent down to whisper in her ear, "If you want to know more about what you are, stay after." With that said, he straightened up and turned to the waiting receptionist. The door was swinging shut behind her as the boy leaned over to say something to the pregnant woman.

The only evidence of her first day of school's surprise was a damp pant-leg and the whisper of water droplets coating her hand.

Mr. Davidoff simply smiled at her when she came back in twenty minutes late and took the paper. "Yes," he said to her as she took her seat, ignoring Rae's curious look and her other friends' matching Cheshire smirks, "a very _interesting_ subject indeed."

For the rest of the day, through Mrs. Wang's Geometry class; Dr. Gil's Drama; Mrs. Talbot's English; and Mrs. Van Doop's (who everyone called Vulture behind her back) Biology, Chloe was only half-listening to the lectures of poetry and scientific classification. Her mind was elsewhere.

Of _course_ she knew about Elementals, who didn't?

They were magicians and entertainers, celebrities and millionaires. Every little boy and girl and other wanted to _be_ an Elemental.

They were renowned; they were royalty.

Yet, somehow, it didn't seem that glorious. Having to control your emotions constantly to keep them from wrecking havoc. Having to learn to control your element, until you were a master.

That spawned a new thought: how was she supposed to keep it from her super-nosy Aunt Lauren?

Or control it, at the least?

How did _she_ , an utterly normal, shy teenage girl with, at most, a C-average on her report cards, end up being an Elemental?

So lost in her thoughts, Chloe didn't notice the black-haired girl in a turtleneck sneak up behind her until it was too late. She shrieked in surprise and pulled away, wide-eyed.

"You look ready to cling to ceiling like a cat," Beth observed in her calm, monotonous voice before sliding her turtleneck back over her mouth.

Rae snorted with laughter as Kari bounced up and down, red-and-gold dreads bobbing with her excited hops.

"Let's go! I want ice cream!" she said excitedly, readjusting her bright leg warmers.

"I-I ca-an't," Chloe muttered, pulling away from Kari's embrace.

Rae shot her a smug look. "I saw you chatting up the new guy. Didn't know you liked the broody type."

Ignoring her bright red face, the blonde continued. "I-I ha-have to st-stu-udy for a t-te-est V-Vul-ulture ga-gave us." The lie slid off her tongue like fluid.

Kari pouted. "That evil _witch_! I hate her! She's a meanie pants!"

Unable to hide smile, Chloe nodded. "Y-yeah. B-but I n-ne-eed to ta-ake her class to g-gra-adua-ate." She hiked up her backpack higher on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come?" Beth asked, gnawing her lip just as Rae slid an arm around Kari's shoulder and hollered, "Go get 'em, girl!"

"I-I'm sure. G-go ha-ave fun."

Beth scurried down the hall to join the first day rush of exiting students and Chloe turned.

 _Now where do I find this guy?_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

A Strange Arrangement, Indeed

* * *

Derek glanced up at the clock to check the time, his fingers pausing on the edge of the page. Absently, he wondered if he'd scared her away; he knew, honestly, that he could be very intimidating.

The doors squeaked open slowly.

Wet sneakers squealed on the linoleum floor.

"H-hello?" called a girl's voice softly, whispery.

He looked up in time to see the girl from this morning, a flash of her golden-ruby hair. And then she was peering around the edge of a bookcase, her eyes widening in recognition.

"Wh-hat a-am I?" she asked suddenly as she stepped closer, a bounce in her step. She was wearing a tiny, baby-blue halterneck and tight skinny jeans but she looked different than any other Elemental he'd ever seen, a sort of innocence in her eyes and cheerful gait in her steps. Most other Elementals were scarred, weathered from time on the streets or on the brink of a breakdown, but this one…was untouched, utterly preserved by her tiny, bubble-wrapped town.

Derek answered without looking up. "Elemental. A water one, at that, which is pretty surprising. Not too common these days. Most are air or something. Last water bender was years ago, some lady named Margaret." He closed his book quietly as a flash of color caught his attention, out of the corner of his eye.

She was sitting down next to him, all her attention focused on him solely.

It was nearly painful. A frown marred her porcelain features, those big doe eyes and little nose. "W-why h-hav-aven't I e-ev-er se-een anyt-thing until n-now?" She worried her lower lip softly.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"F-fi-fifte-een," she said.

"Probably a late bloomer, although it's unheard of at this age that an Elemental wouldn't see any signs," he admitted, casting a quick glance at her perky breasts; _late bloomer indeed,_ he thought briefly before shaking his head.

"A-are y-you an Elemental?"

He slashed a glare her way at her question and folded his arms across his chest. "Don't ask me such stupid questions," he snapped.

She flinched away.

 _Good,_ he thought, _you_ should _be afraid._ "In the nineties, all sorts of people began popping up all over the world. Babies, children, young adults and elderly. Never before had they exhibited such strange behavior: children performing extraordinary feats such as creating miniature natural disasters, weather flexing around emotions of the patients. They studied and prodded and tested but found nothing wrong with them. A man named St. Cloud proposed that these…anomalies…were to be treated as regular citizens, taught how to control their newfound abilities."

Crossing his legs, he tipped his head back.

She watched him, fascinated.

"And that's how they became to be known at Elementals. You are one of them." Kit was always getting on him about referring to Elementals as _them_ even though he was one, but in all fairness, he was far too dangerous to even be considered to be a part of a group.

"Are…are th-there o-oth-hers?" she whispered, blue eyes wide as she leaned in close. A few pieces of hair fell away from the huge mass and slipped over her shoulder. A slate of light crossed her eyes, making them seem even bluer, crystalline almost, like stained glass.

"What do _you_ think?" he asked shortly, crossing his arms to shake out his stupid hormonal thoughts.

She shied back, a flicker of hurt crossing her face but her eyes held a fire, a tiny kindling of anger.

"I have more important things to do than baby sit you," he said and stood up, collecting his things in his arms. The books were heavier than he remembered, weighing down his forearms.

Red color flooded her pale cheeks, making her faint freckles stand out like moles against her skin. "N-no need t-to be r-r-ru-ude," she said, a little pout gracing her lush mouth.

Heat seared his skin and he looked up at the clock. Four-thirty. He was late going home.

She stood up too, standing a few inches below his shoulder, clutching a paperback to her chest. "T-thanks f-for your he-help," she muttered to him, although the crease between her scarce brows told him she was annoyed with the conversation and she'd puffed her cheeks with air, pouting almost in a chipmunky fashion.

Derek pushed his hair out of his eyes and stuffed his books into his backpack before he shouldered a thick, black strap over his left shoulder. "It wasn't like I had much of a choice," he answered with a sneer on his mouth and the crease between her eyebrows grew deeper, like a huge chasm. "They stick me with training newbies. Don't think this'll make us friends or something." He shot her a glare. "It doesn't."

Chloe's light-blue eyes widened in surprise and a bit of shock. Hurt flashed across her face, marring her tiny features, and for a minute, he wanted to apologize.

But he was Derek Souza and he didn't apologize, no matter how wrong he was or how hurtful he was because, hey, life isn't made of sunshine and he wasn't going to shit rainbows to someone who needed to be hit upside the head with reality.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but the school's closing," someone behind them said.

He turned, blinking at the blonde with a lot of teased hair.

"Oh, hey, Chloe," the teased-haired girl said with a smile, her mossy eyes lighting up as she stepped closer and wound an arm around the new Elemental's shoulders. She shot him a dark look once she caught the hurt expression on Chloe's face. "Amber Long."

He squinted at her ridiculously long hair. _Long as in extensions for sure,_ he thought dryly.

"Don't wait up," he told Chloe and watched the expression of hurt on her face further.

Amber's eyes stabbed him.

He pushed in his chair calm as can be and walked away. Inconspicuously, he glanced over his shoulder.

For a long minute, he felt bad but then it passed. Chloe Saunders wasn't going to be starry-eyed and puking roses for much longer.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

A Step In a New Direction

* * *

Chloe was in a bad, bad mood.

Who did that Derek guy think he was? And did he really have to be so rude when she only just found out about being an Elemental? Surely he remembered finding out himself, after years of being a Mundie (as they called normal humans)?

She gnawed on the end of her pen, cracking through the plastic between her front teeth and spitting out little pieces into the trashcan. After adding the ruined pen to the growing pile, she picked up another one and popped a piece of gum into her mouth to keep from ruining the fifth pen.

How was she supposed to concentrate on history homework when she just found out that she was not a Mundie, but a very, very rare Elemental, one of the last ones out there? Furthermore, how was she supposed to deal with it? Just lock it all in like he probably did, letting it out in short bursts of sarcasm and angry glares at everyone?

As much as she wanted to, she just couldn't push her frustrations out onto everyone else; she wasn't that mean.

Growling to herself, she shoved away from her desk and pulled herself to her feet. A quick glance outside told her it wasn't anywhere near close to dark yet so she slid into some flip-flops and headed downstairs. Why bother trying to concentrate on homework when she could practice something of actual use, something that could change the world, not stupid history.

* * *

Dry leaves crunched underfoot and the underbrush of twigs and dry bushes scratched her legs into ribbons, bloody little scratches that sung with every step. She shoved over low hanging branches and scanned over and over for hidden roots, ready to trip her any minute.

Every turn lead her further and further into the woods, the under bush thicker, the tree line pitch black now, trees so close together; it was like swimming in darkness, struggling through.

Any minute now, she'd hear some snarling animal and it would attack her and rip her throat out and no one would find her body.

Or maybe there was a serial killer on the loose, ready to slice into a defenseless teenage girl into pieces, where she'd never be found.

A violent shudder rolled down her spine, making her skin break out in goosebumps, despite the hot, damp temperature.

Even though it was bright daylight out, birds chirping, squirrels skittering, children laughing far off in the distance and cars passing on the road that wound through the woods, she still felt a chill, her skin cold and covered in goosebumps.

Every step felt like it was in the wrong direction, further and further into the bad feeling. F

or a minute, she stopped in a clearing, close enough to the road that she relaxed a bit but far enough into the woods that she would still be hidden from sight, a little grassy meadow about the size of a cul-de-sac with a tiny pond the size of a small car.

All her muscles relaxed as she walked to the pond, her feet aching and dragging through the dry grass. Sweat pooled on her skin, along the swell of her breasts and her spine, her shorts wet with it, her flip-flops squeaking with every step.

Her muscles twitched and quivered as she kicked off her shoes and tested the water.

It was cool, like an ice-cube or condensation on a cold glass. It was clear, pristine blue, a liquid sky, cloudless; leaves swirled across the surface with tiny black water bugs that bumped into her fingers lightly, like little fish bites.

She stuck her foot in, then the other, and then tested to see how deep it went; her toes squished into soft soil, even colder than the water, syrup thick. A bit of weight told her that the mud was solid and she slid in deeper, water rolling up to her knees, her thighs.

Her shorts rubbed against her skin, chafing the skin raw and red. Her tank top billowed out in response to an air bubble in the water, paper-thin now.

Thinking back to the other day, she tried to remember what she did. She remembered feeling anxious, tapping her fingers. Trying that didn't work.

Chloe drew in a deep, deep breath and closed her eyes; she imagined the blood in her veins becoming water, cool and smooth, a current under her skin, familiar as the heart beating in her chest.

In the forefront of her mind, a black expanse unfurled and a ripple in bright blue dripped down, branching out. A blade of grass hit the surface, sending out more and more ripples, a waterfall in her head now. The leaves turned to stones, plopping now, creating a splash and a wave.

"Hey," growled a voice and she froze, the water turning into a frozen lake in her mind, ice crackling and hissing, popping as it spread, chipping away at the edges of her mind. Slowly, she opened her eyes and gaped at the sight before her.

Derek Souza, in his full long legged glory, dripping with sweat in a tight t-shirt and running shorts and sneakers covered in mud and leaves, his face bright red with exertion and his hair pulled away from his eyes, stood in the tree line, his eyes narrowed at her.

She glanced down, too, and yelped in surprise. The entire pond was frozen now, numbing her legs and hips and toes, and the jagged coils of ice covered her arms, branching out towards him in claws. At her sharp intake of air, the ice melted away in the blink of eye and she found herself soaked in water head to toe.

He didn't make a move towards her, just wiped the sweat off his face with the edge of his sleeve.

"Dumbass," he said before he turned and jogged away; with a burning face, she scrambled out of the pond and stumbled into her shoes, waddling after him.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Lessons in Love

* * *

She was so incredibly, unbelievably stupid! Derek growled to himself as he heard her stumbling after him like the idiot she was.

How could one little blonde hold so much stupidity?

As soon as she was close enough, he spun around and watched, in satisfaction, as she tripped and fell flat on her ass. She stared up at him with big, azure eyes that reminded him of the sky, except a bit glossier. "Are you stupid?" he demanded as she gaped up at him, mouth open wide. "Do you have _any_ idea what could have happened if I _hadn't_ found you? You could go catatonic, never to return to your body, or one of those Antis could have found you and killed you! You don't have a fucking brain, do you? Just la-de-fucking-da your way through life!" he hissed, keeping his voice low so his words had more bite, and crossed his arms over his chest, scowling down at her.

Mosquitos buzzed around them, guzzling their blood eagerly; cicadas shrieked in unison and added to his brewing headache; and thunder boomed overhead, black clouds rolling out from this morning's thunderstorm that had rocked the trees.

All in all, it was a tranquil scene, had it been anyone else but the two of them.

Derek's face burned with all the sweat running down it in rivulets, doing nothing to cool his flushed skin.

Chloe stared up at him with this horrified, scared expression and he felt his resolve harden a bit more; who was he to give a damn about what a little girl thought of him?

He clenched his jaw and spat, "If you don't want a bullet through your brain, you better listen to what I say very carefully, got it?" She nodded quickly and he took a deep breath to calm himself down, at least a little bit. "Don't practice alone, in a place like this. There are gyms and stuff catered to meet your training needs. Don't travel alone. As soon as you have a handle on the basics, come to me. My uncle will train you on defense and self-control."

He closed his eyes and let out a short breath. The heat under his skin was bubbling, begging to be let out but he wasn't ever going to let anyone see his element. It would just hurt more people.

"A-are y-you o-o-ok-a-ay?" She was leaning too close and he could feel the heat rise to the tips of his fingers so he lashed out, hoping she'd move backwards.

"Does it matter, you stupid girl?" he snapped, and watched her lip jut out defiantly.

"I-I gu-gue-ess not," she muttered, looking away, out into the woods as though there were something creeping up behind them, slow and dangerous.

"I've got to go," he bit out, scowling darkly as he frowned over his shoulder at her. She was so stupid, it made his headache turn to a migraine, and he sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose to keep the migraine away for a little while.

"Come on," he muttered as he turned and walked away, towards the west, where he could hear the faint whooshing of the cars passing, the kids yelling and laughing, playing.

She blundered behind him, her steps falling like bombs in the quiet forest; despite his short glares he threw over his shoulder at her, she kept stumbling, tripping over branches.

"Really?"

He caught her arm just in time before she fell once again, the toe of her foot caught on a half-hidden tree root.

She shrank back under his glower, and turned her gaze down, a guilty child avoiding an angry stare.

Electric shock-waves rolled up his spine at the skin to skin contact, and he quickly dropped her arm. Hurt flickered across her face and he quickly spun away, heading towards the cul-de-sac. He speed-walked, keeping his pace brisk and short, listening to the idiot girl stumble along behind him.

"H-hey!" she complained.

Heat licked at his hands, rising up his forearms, boiling underneath the surface of his skin, and he quickened his pace, clenching his jaw to keep the burning pain at bay.

"Wait up!" Coming to an abrupt stop, he waited while Chloe scrabbled forward, her face sweaty and red; he couldn't tell whether or not it was from embarrassment or exertion.

"You're slow. It'll get you killed. Watch your step, because if you hurt yourself, I'm not going to help you. How can one person be so damn clumsy?" he said in a rush, and watched her stalk passed him, hair bouncing behind her.

For a split second, he wanted to run his fingers through her mass of curls, feel them, see if they were silky like they looked, but he shook it off—it was stupid, and creepy, and dangerous—and followed her. Heading his words, she kept glancing down at her feet, testing the ground before she gave it her full weight, walking with a brisk, but ultimately slow pace. He could out-walk her in his sleep.

He smirked to himself, picking up his pace to a walk that was faster than hers.

 _Little girl,_ he thought, watching her nearly slip and kiss the ground, scream when she walked through a spider web, nearly slam into a tree, _you're in for a shock. Life isn't all flowers and rainbows._

They broke the tree-line easily, well, at least he did, she just sort of stumbled and fell flat on her face. When she lifted her head, her cheeks were streaked with green, tufts of grass blades on her forehead, creasing the skin, pieces of dirt on her chin and nose.

"Great fall," he sneered and she blinked up at him, her sky eyes dazed.

"T-th-an-anks," she said.

He rolled his eyes and walked away.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Training

* * *

Three weeks after she ran into Derek in the woods, their training continued, but she wasn't improving any. Every time she grew disheartened or frustrated, water ran along her arms and froze in thin sheets of ice, and Derek took her failures to sneer and push her, push and push.

"I c-can-an't," Chloe choked out as her knees weakened, tremors rolling up her spine. Sweat ran into her eyes as she bent at the waist, bracing her hands on her thighs to keep her balance while she struggled to catch her breath. Every muscle in her body quivered and ached, fatigue creeping in, over exertion running ahead of the fatigue.

Derek's simpering irritation turned into full-blown frustration. "You can, and you _will_ ," he growled, shoving off the tree he'd been leaning against for the entirety of the afternoon, instructing her from the darkest shadows of the shade that made being outside bearable. " _Focus_ , damn it. Are you stupid? What part of _focus_ don't you understand? I know you're blond, but not _that_ blond."

Anger bubbled up inside of her, boiling like scalding water, and she snapped upright, ignoring the twitching of her abused muscles. She stalked forward and met his cold stare. Faintly, she realized she was probably red in the face, sweaty, frizzy-haired, her clothes soaked with sweat, and far too short to be intimidating, but all of that was pushed to the back of her mind. "C-can you ju-ust sh-shut u-up? I'm tr-ying and y-you're no-ot he-el-elping! I kn-o-ow I-I'm n-no-ot ge-e-tti-ing it b-but I do-on't need y-ou po-ointi-ing it out a-al-ll the d-da-amn time! W-we a-all ca-an't be in c-con-ontrol like a r-ro-obot, wh-i-ich you are!" she screamed, losing the very last shred of patience she had with him. Week after week of hearing "focus, stupid" and "how can you be so fucking dumb?" finally made her crack and lash out.

"Anger," he said in a frigid voice, "is your key. Look, Ice Eyes." He pointed down, and she closed her eyes, sudden pinpricks stabbing the insides. " _Look_ ," he hissed, and then his fingers, too tight and hot, were pressing into her chin.

She jerked away, eyes flying open watch her step.

And gasped in surprise. There were no shards of ice around them, or on her for that matter. She could hear the quick, sharp sound of her gasping but she couldn't push herself to care.

"Anger is your vice." Derek was against the tree again, cool, collected, but there was something simmering in his eyes, waiting to unfurl and strike, like a snake coiled to bite. His shoulders were taut, a muscle in his eyebrow twitching. A nervous tic, maybe. "Now focus on the heat of your rage and imagine it being pooled into your abdomen." As he spoke, he grew monotone, but there was an underlying bite in his words, regardless of how dry his tone was. He was challenging her without even trying.

She took the bait. After a few quick breaths to calm her quivering muscles, she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her, which faded away into nothing as she recalled how hot her veins had gotten when he'd called her a stupid blond, the heat in her face as she screamed at him, the bolt of satisfaction after the screaming, and imagined magma in place of her veins, bright and hotter than fire, rolling through her. Following the flow of her veins, she thought about dozens of strings tied to her navel, each one directing a flow of heat out of her veins and towards her tensed abdomen.

The first heat bolt was a shock to her system, but eventually it settled and she realized, enjoying the feeling of so much heat inside her, rolling about, warming her from the inside out. Beads of sweat evaporated on her skin as more and more tendrils of heat sank into her. Her insides sizzled.

"Ice Eyes." He broke her concentration.

Abruptly, her eyes shot open in time to see a jut of water come at her face and she threw her hands up frantically, turning her head away. She couldn't speak.

"Don't." He was crouching down beside the pond.

The water splashed down onto her bare skin and it was like running cold water over hot metal; billows of steam clouded her vision and there was a low, long hiss. She gasped as another jet of water hit her skin.

"Too hot," he muttered, flinching as he plunged his water bottle into the pond, filling it up.

Did he not like water? She blinked several times and squinted at his arm. Was it her or were those little bubbles, like water boiling, circling where his arm touched the surface?

"You overheated," he explained.

She opened her mouth and croaked, "What?" As he answered her, she slowly got her bearings and gathered her scattered thoughts, reigning them in.

"If your vice is rage, or irritation, anything of that nature, Elementals tend to overheat. Water helps bring down their core temperature." After that, he was all cold eyes and a slash for a mouth, his expression grim and his face greyish.

She sat there, muddled, as he poured water over her head.

He touched her cheek for a split second, and it was like sticking her face in an open flame.

Leaning away from his burning hand, she held up both hands, palm up. "St-sto-op. I th-thi-ink I'm oka-ay," she admitted with a tiny smile.

He hesitated, torn, and then left the water bottle next to her feet. "That'll be it for today," he whispered, and watched her with the unsettling intensity of a predator, never saying a word, silent, and on the way back, it was quiet, their footsteps like gunshots in the silence. It was dead silent; the birds were quiet and every living thing was watching them, it felt like.

As they broke the tree line, Derek paused and said, very carefully, "Take the rest of the week off. You need to recuperate." He then turned, and walked off.

Chloe stared after him, befuddled. What happened to the asshole who threw rude comments at her every chance? Maybe he was worried about her. She shook her head and stumbled home.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Kari and Miranda

* * *

After Chloe combusted during their last training session, Derek avoided her like the plague. Instead of running with her, he holed up in his room. Simon liked to bother him, though, so he started avoiding the house too. He'd would sit in random parks, earbuds in, and just watch the sun climb higher and higher.

"Derek?" a voice asked.

He opened his eyes to find a redheaded girl with neon dreadlocks leaning over him. She didn't look familiar at all, so he figured she wasn't talking to him, but when he closed his eyes again, a tiny hand grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"What?" he snapped, sitting up as the hand left his shoulder and his earbuds were ripped out.

"Where's Chloe?" the redhead demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

That made him sit up. "Who's asking?" he spat, eyeballing the girl.

She was short and muscular, with brown skin and dark freckles. Her hair was an obnoxious shade of red that undoubtedly came from a box, and her braids, neon purples, blues, greens, yellows and oranges, drew his attention away from her face, which was flushed with what he thought was sunburn or anger.

"Kari! Now, you big butt head, tell me what you did with Chloe! Or…or…" She was right in his face, and he could see she had glitter on her face.

"I didn't do _anything_ to her," he hissed flatly, feeling his face heat up at the implications. "She's at her house. Now leave me alone." Ignoring the smug expression on her face, he took his earbuds from her, tucked them back in, and headed out of the park.

"Dude, you're Derek Souza, aren't you?" she yelled after him, making heads turn in his direction.

He waved her off over his shoulder and walked out of the entrance. Busy with his phone, eyes on the screen, he navigated down the street without once looking up. He really should've because he didn't see the girl headed straight for him until they crashed into each other. His phone went flying out of his hand and landed somewhere behind him; his earbuds were ripped out of his ears, lying tangled around his neck.

"What were the _fuck_ you're going!" he spat, getting to his feet without offering the girl a hand up. Instead, like the complete ass he was, he pushed himself to his feet, brushed the concrete dust off his jeans and the back of his t-shirt, and scooped his phone up. "Jesus Christ, what are you? _Blind_?" He had to take some deep breathes so he wouldn't combust.

"Um, actually, yes," she said and his head snapped up. She looked about his age, maybe older, with big, milky eyes and long dark hair that spilled around her shoulders and framed her round face. In her hand was a walking stick.

He _really_ felt like an ass and offered her his hand. "I'm really…fuck, I didn't know." It was so easy to lift her up, despite outweighing him by fifty pounds, and she struggled to get her balance. "I feel like a complete dick now." Knowing she couldn't see the nervous tic that gave him away, he ran both hands through his hair.

She laughed, an easy, quiet sound that he almost missed. "You won't believe how many people say things like that."

"I'm…sorry," he muttered, bending down and picking up a pair of sunglasses. "Oh, here."

She held out her hand expectantly and curled her fingers around the glasses the minute they touched her palm. "Thanks." Tucking her hair behind her ears, she gave him a wry smile. "You really should work on your temper. Like, it's worse than the fucking Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Like, you're going to blow up at someone and it won't end nice."

He ground his teeth into dust. Time and time again, he'd been to control his temper. That he couldn't go around snapping at people like a grumpy toddler. Forbidden memories crawled up from the blackest parts of his memory, the feeling of his knuckles splitting apart, the cold metal of the butt of a gun hitting his temple, hot blood running into his eyes.

"Hey! Miranda!" a shrill voice screamed right beside him and he watched in amazement as Kari threw herself at the dark-haired blind girl, and she caught the redhead seamlessly.

Kari looked up at Derek then. "Oh, you've meet Derek?" she said, wrapping both arms around the blind girl's neck, hanging off it like a monkey. "He's a total meanie-pants, isn't he?"

Miranda tapped Derek's sneaker, up his knee, and the cold rubber end pressed against his skin uncomfortably. Once the stick was pressed against him, she stepped closer and closer until she was right in his face and lifted her hands up. "Maybe not," she murmured as she pressed her thumbs against his cheeks.

He twitched away, frowning at her. "Don't fucking touch me."

She just stared at him with those huge eyes, her milky irises watching him.

"I gotta go," he muttered and turned and walked away as fast as he could without breaking into a sprint. He could hear Kari's high-pitched voice speaking rapid-fire to Miranda. Once he got to the crosswalk, the numbers counting down from thirteen, he glanced back to find Miranda's eyes still on him, even as Kari tugged at her arm and stomped her feet like a little kid.

Derek put his head down, plugged in his earbuds, and ran across the white lines with the sign dropping into single-digits. He ran, despite wearing jeans and a t-shirt, people giving him weird looks, but he didn't stop until he was in his neighborhood. Outside the mouth of his street, he just stood there, catching his breath and inhaling the aroma of someone's grill. Sweat poured down his face, dampened his shirt, and he wiped his forehead with the collar of his t-shirt.

"Yo, bro!" The screen door banged as Simon came running out, wearing only a pair of neon orange shorts. "Dad's been looking everywhere for you. Go for a run?" he asked once he noticed the sweat on Derek's skin.

"Something like that," Derek muttered as he brushed passed Simon.

"Dude, you _reek!"_


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Explosive

The blond stared into the mirror, trying to see if she looked as tired as she felt, and found nothing out of the ordinary about her face. Her hair was still too curly and baby-fine, not wild and mangy; her face was still a bit too long but she hadn't lost any weight from lack of appetite, and her complexion didn't look any sallower from lack of sleep.

Sighing, she undressed, turned on the spigot for the bath tub, and waited on the floor while it warmed. Derek hadn't contacted her since the outburst during training and she was beginning to feel guilty; she obviously wasn't a very good Elemental by the way she'd all but combusted into flames.

"Chloe, I'm going to store! I'll be back in a bit," her aunt yelled downstairs.

Chloe sighed heavily to herself. How was she going to hide her not-so-human nature from her aunt? She knew she wasn't a very good liar and was dreading lying to her aunt's face; surely, she'd see right through it and call Chloe on her bullshit.

Groaning to herself, she scrubbed her face with one hand and turned the spigot's knob for the showerhead. Hopefully, a shower would help.

The water was almost too hot on her skin but she remained under the spray, feeling the heat seep into her tense muscles and bring blood to the surface of her skin. It pelted her hair so it hung in a thick glob down her back and she decided to enjoy the quiet of the house while she could. She generously poured her body-wash onto her loofa, letting the familiar scent wash over her and calm her breathing, and worked it into a fluffy white lather on her skin until her skin was raw and baby-pink. Once she rinsed off her body, relishing in the smoothness of her skin, now free of sweat collected during her sleep under two blankets, she massaged her shampoo into her hair, wondering off-handedly where she could buy some hair dye for streaks. Rinsing out her hair, she reached for the conditioner but froze when she heard a loud voice yelling.

Squeegeeing the water out of her mess of hair, she peeked out of the curtain and peered through the bathroom window, which was high enough that people couldn't see in. A tall, black-haired man was either chewing out or arguing with two younger men, one with dark skin and the other with long, blonde hair, in her neighbor's backyard. "…Can't do anything I ask! All I need is…" he was bellowing.

Figuring it was none of her business, she returned to her shower and worked conditioner into her hair, feeling the sleek water run down her back. As she rinsed off for the final time, she heard the doorbell ring. _Who could that be?_ she wondered as she stepped out of the shower and dried off as fast as she could. Her hair wrapped up in a towel, she pulled on some shorts and an orange tank-top and then headed down the stairs to answer the door.

The familiar tall, robust figure of her friend Beth made her smile. Not too far behind was Kari, who was riding up and down the driveway with a neon-pink bike, ringing the little bell obnoxiously.

Chloe laughed. "Ni-ice to se-ee you gu-uys-s," she said as Kari directed her bike into the grass, dumped it, and came sprinting up the porch steps.

"WesawDerekyesterdayandhe'satotalpoopybutthole," Kari jabbered, bouncing in place; Beth laid a single hand on the smaller girl's shoulder and she quit bouncing.

It clicked in Chloe's head. "What?" she managed to squeak.

"Miranda and me were gonna meet up at the park, you know, to hang out and I was in the park waiting for her and I looked up and hey, look at that! There was Derek the butthole! He was on his phone so he didn't see me so I think I might've spooked him a little bit. I was all, 'where's Chloe?' 'cause I hadn't seen you in forever, you know? And he was all frowny and he looked like a puckered butthole and he was all like, 'I don't know grumble grumble,' and then he ran away cause I was glaring at him and bumped into Miranda! And _then_ he was yelling at her when he got up. 'What are you blind?' I mean, what kind of butthole says that? To a _blind_ person? But Miranda was totally chill and stuff and then she felt him up with her walking stick," Kari said in a rush.

Chloe's head spun and she felt like she was gonna be sick. "S-so h-he's be-een avo-oidi-ing me but c-can go t-to th-the pa-ark?" she muttered to herself. Sure, she didn't expect for them to become BFFs and paint each other's nails but it pissed her off that he'd blow her off when he was the one who told her what she was and said he'd train her to control herself.

Kari smiled and headed into the kitchen.

"Why is he avoiding you?" Beth asked, leaning against the banister while Kari got a drink.

"I—we—I m-mea-ean he—" Chloe babbled as she felt her face burn hotter and hotter; she knew she was flushing. The implications were there, she just didn't know which would be better: tell her friends the truth or let them think she had a thing with Derek Souza, aka Mr. Poopy Butthole, according to Kari.

She took a deep breath and tested the words with her lips pursed. "I-I'm an…" Another deep breath, focusing on enunciating each word so as not to stutter, just like her speech therapist said to. Sweat pooled in her palms and wet the back of her bra. "I'm an Elemental," she said slowly, "and Derek's training me."

"Show us," Kari pleaded, nearly spilling her Capri-sun all over the floor.

Chloe flushed again. "I'm not sure how to control it," she explained, carefully enunciating again to get her point across. "And I—"

There was a loud crack and then everything exploded; chunks of plaster rained down and glasses shattered. Kari screamed. Beth yelled something. The entire house quivered and shook; the foundation groaned as it swayed and buckled.

Something smacked Chloe hard in the back of her head and hot blood ran down the back of her neck, wetting her t-shirt. The last thing she heard was the wail of sirens, getting louder and louder.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Recognition

Derek scowled to himself at the huge cluster of people around a flaming house as he dropped his speed.

He'd been on his way to drop by Liz's house to pick up Tori and, on the way into her cul-de-sac, he spotted the crowd growing around a single house by nearly hitting some kid that broke away from the crowd and ran into the middle of the cul-de-sac. The little shit had the nerve to smirk at him but he wiped that stupid look off the kid's face when he threateningly revved his engine. Kid took right off.

An ambulance and firetruck sat outside the house, too.

A glimpse of red hair caught his attention and he did a double-take. It was that hyper girl, the one with dreads, from the park. _Shit_ , he thought and threw his car into park on the curb in front of someone's house.

Kari—that was her name, wasn't it?—was talking animatedly to a tall, gaunt woman in doctor scrubs, keeping an ice-pack on her forehead. She looked disheveled, her face smudged and clothes chalky; the busty girl next to her looked a bit calmer, albeit her attire more chalky.

He looked to the ambulance that was loitering outside, back doors open, and spotted her _._ Chloe. Shittiest Elemental he'd ever seen since Simon and Simon was only half Elemental. Her head being inspected by a female paramedic as she stared blankly up at the burning house. It clicked, then; that must've been her house.

"Hey," he called and saw everyone he'd noticed turn to look at him.

Kari's eyes bulged as she screamed, "Holy mother of God, it's Derekzilla!" For emphasis, she stabbed a finger in his direction. He shot her a dark look and felt a surge of approval when she backed up.

The black-clad girl beside her smacked her arm with a stern scowl. "Hush," she stated loud enough for Derek to hear as he walked over.

He didn't know why he was even bothering; the redhead was possibly mentally retarded or ADHD positive, the emo girl looked like she was planning his murder, the gaunt doctor was eyeballing him like he was a predator and Chloe was staring at him, wide-eyed.

"What happened?" he asked as he stepped closer.

The fire was still raging, despite the firefighters best efforts to drown it, and he could feel the wave soft heat wafting off it. A long-forgotten memory rose up. The smell of smoke, hot tears in his eyes, the burning in his arms.

"Gas pipe ignited with a spark from a wayward wire," Chloe said absently, turning her sky eyes to him.

Derek took a deep breath and shook off the chains of the memory, instead surveying the scene. Maybe it was Antis or just a freak, mundane accident. He scanned the crowd, flitting from face-to-face. No one looked particularly pleased about the fire; not even that smug little shit he'd scared, who went pale at the sight of him and hurried deeper into the crowd.

"I leave you alone for a few days and this is what I come back to?" he said as he turned back to Chloe and glared down at her.

She shrank back, despite the set of her jaw, and curled in on herself, her fee hanging off the back of the ambulance. "W-well, ma-aybe i-if you di-idn-n't lea-eave me alo-one, thi-is wo-ou-ouldn't have ha-happened," she replied but her voice didn't hold any emotion; she sounded hollow, blank.

"Maybe if you weren't so _careless_ and _inexperienced,_ this wouldn't have happened," he barked back. Irritation slowly burned into anger. She was so _helpless_ and utterly _useless_ and couldn't she see how—The heat was there, hotter than he'd remembered, hotter than the day he'd come across her in the woods, and it knocked him off balance. It threatened to emerge from his fingers and he locked his muscles, forcing it back down, down, down, until he was empty and he felt cold, like he'd been filled with ice instead of heat, and he could see Chloe's big, star-speckled eyes.

"Fucking forget this," he snarled and turned and stalked away.

"Hey! Wait!" she called.

Just like before, he was walking away and she was chasing him. This time he wouldn't turn back; he wouldn't let her make him so angry that he'd lose control because if he lost control—He glanced back at the smoldering house, flames still going, casting a massive silhouette against the sun.

"I said—damn it, wait!" A hand touched his back, pressed flat, and he spun around so fast, she didn't have time to back up and her hand was still up; he grabbed it and held it tight, keeping it between them. Hard enough to keep her still, not hard enough to hurt her. There was a wild, frantic look in her damn eyes that he didn't want directed at him, couldn't have directed at him.

"Don't _ever_ touch me," he said darkly.

Her eyes stared up at him, helpless as an innocent child, and he dropped her hand. Took a breath. So what if she was stupid and a complete idiot and looked like a little girl? Just because she was stupid and tiny and doe-eyed didn't mean she couldn't be bitch-slapped with reality. She didn't need sugar-coated sweet nothings and lace-covered nudges.

"Derek, what took you so long?" Tori yelled as she stepped out of Liz's house, still sporting her blond counterpart's sweatshirt. "Oh, who's the little kid?" As she got closer, she turned red. "Sorry. I don't have my glasses on me."

"I-it's okay," Chloe said, bowing her head as she hugged her arms against her chest, shuffling backwards.

The dark-haired girl bumped past Derek with her hip. "Jut ignore Derek if he's being a dick with a stick up his ass," Tori said.

"Shut up, bitch," Derek snapped, shoving past his sister to get to his car. His hands were still shaking. He couldn't afford to lose it. Last thing they needed was another house on fire.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Thread

While the house was under repair, Chloe and her aunt stayed in a hotel about five minutes away from the house. The hotel was a nice Quality Inn, with soft sheets and too-thick blankets that left her sweaty, but it wasn't _home_.

 _And_ she was alone. Aunt Lauren had left hours ago for some emergency at the hospital and promised they could grab something once she was off.

Chloe ran her fingers through her hair, chewing her cheek anxiously as she laced up her sneakers and bounded out the door, locking up behind her as she went. Her shower-damp hair slapped against her neck as she started off in a slow pace, the muscles in her thighs already starting to burn a little bit.

As she ran, she found herself looking at everyone she saw. Were they Elementals too? Were they the bad guys, the people who planned quiet murders in the middle of the night and smothered blooming children to stop their growth? Her stomach twisted at _that_ idea.

Speaking of Elementals, she thought about Derek. He hadn't called her or contacted her at all, at least not since he'd yelled at her. She'd seen a dark-haired girl walking out of her neighbor's house and the girl had thought she was a little kid—wasn't really surprising considering how flat her chest was—but she couldn't figure out the relationship between the two of them.

Chloe made a turn and pushed herself to run a little faster. It didn't matter anyway; Derek wasn't her type at all. Her type were tall, muscular but lean, and had no idea she was alive. While he was tall and muscular, more bulky than her usual type, he knew she was a live and _hated_ her no doubt. He'd none-too-subtly _told_ her. His actions, his words, the looks he gave her, his entire attitude towards her broke her down little by little, chipping away at her chipper demeanor.

Clenching her jaw, she threw herself into a full-out sprint, ignoring the way her stomach threatened to overturn everything she'd eaten, her lungs burning with every sharp intake, the wind stinging her eyes. Who _cared_ what some hot-headed, close-minded asshole thought?

 _She did._

Because he was the only one who could help her. He was the only one to show her to ropes of getting her emotions in check. No one else knew, besides Beth and Kari, and she couldn't trust her aunt not to jump gun and take over everything because her aunt was

Something fat and wet plopped across the bridge of her nose and she looked up to see the dark, violent storm clouds brewing overhead. Those walking scurried for cover, casting nervous glances around.

Another drop hit her shoulder, but she breathed deep, ignoring the painful thumping of her heart, and ignored the slow, steady raindrops. A clap of thunder cracked across the sky, and the clouds unleashed a sudden torrent of rain, soaking her within minutes. Streams of rainwater ran down her face, blinding her.

When her legs almost gave out, she stopped and stood, tilting her face up to the rain. Angry tears stung her face, but she herself could hardly distinguish them from the rain pelting her. She opened her mouth and breathed hard, feeling her pulse drum painfully in her throat as she stood there, swaying. Once she caught her breath enough, she wandered until she found a bench and sat down, ignoring the bewildered looks she received for sitting in the middle of a downpour.

The rain felt good against her hot skin, so she sat there and bowed her head and cried a little. She prayed everyone saw an out-of-breath runner trying to catch their breath instead of a scared girl crying her eyes out. When she finally stopped crying, her eyes felt swollen and they ached and there was a sharp, persistent pain in the back of her head.

Sighing to herself, Chloe stood, wiped some water out her face, and turned. Her legs wobbled. She couldn't help but think she was precariously hanging on the edge, like she hanging on by the skin of her teeth; she was a thin thread that threatened to snap at any minute. Every minute, every lie, every _breath_ was forcing this wild, hot panic to rise up and create a turbulent force inside of her.

The rain, if anything, poured down thicker than before, and she could hardly see anymore, but she kept going. She couldn't stop now; if she did, she'd end up crying all over again, and Aunt Lauren would worry if she came home soaking wet after dark.

Her knees buckled and she almost fell but managed to catch herself and keep going. Every breath hurt her lungs as she slowed to a walk. The hotel was in view now. As she walked into the parking lot, she glanced around her.

No one.

Sighing, Chloe reached the door, unlocked it, and stepped inside, placing her wet sneakers outside the door. Walking into the bathroom, she placed the wet clothes in the sink and decided to shower. The hot water splashed over her head, washing away the bone-deep chill, and she stood there for a minute or two, breathing slowly as she traced letters into the soft fat of her stomach.

When the water got too cold, she stepped out and toweled off. She still looked pretty haggard, her skin waxy and her eyes tired, but she could still smile convincingly. Aunt Lauren wouldn't be able to see through it.

She dressed in the bathroom, jeans and an over-sized sweatshirt that was thin enough to double as a shirt, and breezed out. As soon as she stepped foot outside, the phone rang and Chloe answered it within the second chime.

"Hey," Aunt Lauren said quickly, urgency coloring her voice.

Chloe already felt her stomach twist with dread. "Work?" she guessed, trying hard to keep her voice light.

"Mmhm. I'm sorry, baby."

She sighed through her nose, already sliding diagonally across the bed to take a nap. "It's okay. I'll see you later." It was a little difficult to not let her anger and disappoint shine through her tone, but she managed alright.

"I love you," Aunt Lauren reminded her.

She waited a beat before she responded. In the background, the intercom crackled to life. "I love you too."

The call ended abruptly and the blonde girl pressed her face into the pillow, watching the rain outside. Tonight...tonight, it was just her and her maelstrom of thoughts.


	11. Chapter 10

_Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated lately. Work has been basically every day of this week, I have school, I got my license, and I've been crying over Mystic Messenger. I think_ _Seven or_ _Jaehee are my favorites._

* * *

Chapter Ten

Cold

He felt marginally guilty over not speaking to Chloe, but how could he when he was losing control over himself? The blazing that normally lay dormant in his veins was oozing out at every opportunity, vibrant as that day, and he could _not_ afford to lose his tenuous hold on his self-control. As much as he hated her starry-eyed attitude, he didn't want to really hurt her.

But Simon started asking about her, _Tori_ started asking about her, and now here he was, standing in front of her motel room door. What was he supposed to say? "Hey, sorry I've been avoiding you for three weeks"?

Shaking off the strings of discomfort and self-doubt, he knocked on the door and waited. Tension coiled in his stomach at the sound of rain pouring down behind him, and he was glad he'd worn his leather jacket and drove his car here instead of walking like he'd originally planned (like a moron).

The door swung open, and Chloe peered up at him with starlit blue eyes, her mouth open in a yawn. She squeaked as her hands quickly went to cover herself, a loose tank-top that did nothing to hide the small swell of her breasts, and he could feel his cheeks blister with heat.

It was plainly obvious that she was cold.

"Derek?" she said slowly, reaching up to push a wayward lock of hair out of her face.

"Let's go," he muttered, making sure to meet her eyes and then he stepped back. "Get dressed. We're gonna train."

"T-train?" she echoed.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the railing. "No, we're going _on_ a train. What do you think?"

High color flooded her face, making her freckles pop out. "Tra-ain? A-aft-fter we-ee-eks of ig-ignor-noring m-me?" Anger burned in her eyes and there was indignant set of her jaw. Her arms waved wildly. "T-thanks, bu-ut _n-no-o tha-anks._ "

"You act like this is a debate. Newsflash, you moron, it's _not_."

"N-no wo-onder you do-o-on't have fr-fri-iends ou-outsi-side of S-Si-imon. You're su-uch a se-elf-rig-ighteous ass." The beginnings of small crystals on her fingertips caught his attention, and without another word, he herded her into the motel room, closing the door behind him.

"Calm down."

She shoved him suddenly, abruptly, and he had to admit he wasn't expecting _that_ from such a little blonde. "N-no! Ju-ust be-bec-cau-ause you're a-a fu-fuc-fuck-king _robot_ do-does-n-n-n't mean I-I ha-a-ave t-t-to-o-o be!" More ice crept up her arms, and he sighed, feeling heat rising up from his feet. Seeing her all riled up...because of _him_...

He placed both hands on her shoulders and leaned down, meeting her eyes.

She was still yelling, loud enough to be heard through the undoubtedly paper-thin walls, and she seemed to be growing more and more agitated by the minute.

Breathing past the rise of his responding element, he cupped her face hard enough to get her attention. "If you don't stop," he said seriously, deadpan, watching the fire in her eyes sparkle and dance, "then I'll be left no choice." Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms, and as she screamed and kicked and called him every foul name he'd ever heard and more, he walked down the long hallway, peering into the doors.

When he finally ran across the bathroom, he opened the door, easily keeping Chloe balanced on his shoulder with one arm, and flicked on the light. A toothbrush and tube of toothpaste lay haphazardly across the counter, and a pair of panties hung on the side of the tub, obviously drying out.

"I-I sw-swea-ear to-to-to Go-o-od-d, i-if you do-o-on't le-e-et me g-go," she warned as he turned on the hot water in the tub. Her icy hands felt like needles against the skin of his back, where his shirt had twisted away from the waistband of his jeans, and he almost dropped her right then and there.

"Are you gonna calm down?" he asked.

When she merely kicked him in reply, he thought, _I warned you_ , and unceremoniously flipped her into his arms, ignoring the high-pitched scream she let out. Her flushed face was scrunched up and her mouth dropped open, no doubt to rip into him even more, and her arms were covered in thick, white icicles. And he could see she was _really_ cold.

She slapped his chest, and he was surprised at how open with her emotions she was being. If her powers flourished like he suspected they would, then they'd be in deep shit.

"Control yourself."

"F-fu—" Whatever she was going to say—he had a pretty good idea what it was going to be—was cut off suddenly when he flicked on the spigot, pulled a little tab that turned on the shower head, and all but threw her down into the tab.

He didn't plan on her arms latching around his neck and the force of her fall pulling him down into the boiling spray alongside her. Water pelted his back, and he was more than glad he had it on scalding so she wouldn't notice the unnatural, feverish heat of his skin against her thighs or the steam rolling off him.

"What the hell, Chloe?" he growled, shoving himself away.

Her chest heaved as rivulets dripped down her face, the spray wetting her hair and beading diamonds in her pale lashes. The flush along the apples of her cheeks had yet to dissipate. "M-me?" she demanded, pulling herself upright so they were eye-to-eye. "Y-yo-ou're th-the ru-rud-udest b-boy I've e-ev-eve-e-ee-er met!"

He ignored her declaration and pulled his torso out of the water's aim. " _This_ is what you need to control. Your emotions."

"Why?" she asked, scowling.

The familiar, boiling heat sizzled the blood in his veins. "Why?" he repeated quietly, eyeballing her.

He could see the skin of her breasts though her tank top, her hair clinging to her pursed lips, her overshadowed eyes narrowed at him. Steam made his head feel too light, and beads of water rolled down her face.

"Because if you don't, well, you might kill someone. That wouldn't be the first time it happened."

Any angry color in her face drained away as the door opened, and a tall, gaunt-faced blonde woman in scrubs stepped inside. "Chloe," she was saying, a big smile on her face that dropped the minute she spotted Derek, "what is going on?"

"What _is_ going on, Chloe?" he echoed, twisting Lauren's words with a deep rumble.

Chloe looked ready to cry, but at least she wasn't covered in ice anymore.


End file.
